Idear: young people revitalizing uramachi
Dear Matsumoto fans,
How are you doing?
We have reached the end of August, an unbelievably hot summer. I think we all feel a bit under the weather.
Normally, we experience two extremely hot weeks, and then a mild summer in Matsumoto, with refreshing evenings. However, this year the heat wave has yet to end.
Still, we have started seeing some autumn vegetables at the market, meaning that autumn is coming.
Recently, I was enjoying a walk with my friend, and we saw an interesting sign in an area of town called uramachi.
It said “cafe and bar Idear”. It looked new, so I looked it up and I decided to visit.
Cafe and Bar Idear opened on April 1st 2025, in a building that used to be an old snack. Most of the location was left unmodified, so you can enjoy the showa retro vibe of an old uramachi snack.
The owner is a really nice young man who used to be a salaryman. He didn’t enjoy it so he decided to start a business in this area of town. He wanted to be indipendend and create a space that could connect people. He chose this uramachi because it is an area of town that needs to be revived, and started a cafe and bar where he hosts music and art events as well.
The athmosphere is relaxing an lovely, there are games, artworks, books (including mathematic books) and manga on display.
The theme of the bar is “subculture”.
He organizes educational events as well, and soon there will be a “mathematics event”.
I had a lovely time at this bar!
I was happy to find beers from “Derailleur Brew Works”, which I couldn’t find anywhere else!
Another thing I enjoyed is the “all you can eat snack corner”.
This is a nice place if you want to relax with friends, but I am sure that it will become home to many unique events (with topics like mathematics, philosophy, music, and art) and social gatherings that you will not find anywhere else!
To enter, go to the third floor and ring the bell! The owner will open the door and welcome you!
If you visit:
Matsumoto Joto 1-3-22
Closed on Sundays
There is a 500 yen charge but the snack bar is all you can eat!
Drinks are from 500 yen for sodas and from 700 for alcoholic beverages.
